Poll

Government

The General Assembly debates dozens of bills each legislative session, but most fall under several broad categories such as education, health and public safety, infrastructure and economic development.

Those last two were the chief focus of the Kentucky House’s work last week, as my colleagues and I approved legislation that would make it easier for government and the private sector to work together and that would take an in-depth look at the state’s workforce development programs.

Just as it is often said that games are won or lost during practice, a similar principle applies as well to legislation. Before a bill can clear the House or Senate, it has to make it through a committee first.

That groundwork is especially crucial when it comes to the budget, which Governor Bevin proposed late last month. The House Appropriations and Revenue Committee began reviewing it in-depth last week. The chamber is on track to complete this work and vote on it by the early days of March.

Several people filed to run for state offices last Tuesday after press time of the LaRue County Herald News.

The additional filings were democrat Ricky Alvey who filed as a candidate for state senator. He will face democrat candidate Leslie J. Stith in the May primary election. The republican candidate for state senator is Stephen L. Meredith.

The biggest responsibility the governor and the General Assembly have during legislative sessions in even-numbered years is enacting a budget to run state government. It sets our priorities in a way no other law can.

The budget process actually began months ago, when agencies compiled their projected needs while the state’s economists, known as the Consensus Forecasting Group, determined exactly how much the state could appropriate.

The May Primary election is taking shape as the filing deadline for candidates ended Tuesday, January 26.

LaRue Countians will cast their vote for several races during the primary election including U.S. president, U.S. senator, U.S. representative, state senate and state representative. There are no county or city races in the 2016 primary election. The following are the candidates who filed on Tuesday prior to the publication deadline for the LaRue County Herald News.

LaRue County Fiscal Court, at its November 10 meeting, passed a resolution that authorizes $120,000 from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to be used toward replacing the long-standing Hall-Gaddie Bridge on the south fork of the Nolin River.